In Ghostly Company

Introduction by David Stuart Davies "A grey cloud formed on the summit of the altar, diminishing, thickening and turning into a Shape, a shape of evil and fear. The silent group by the fire once more broke forth into wild gesticulations and cries, Stella prostrated herself, the Form on the altar grew clearer and with a cry of horror Mr Fowke turned away and rushed madly across the moor". Amyas Northcote's 'In Ghostly Company' is a rare and splendid collection of strange and disturbing tales from the golden age of ghost stories. His style is akin to that of the master of the genre M.R. James: it is measured and insidiously suggestive, producing unnerving chills rather than shocks and gasps. Northcote's tales make the reader unsettled and uneasy. This is partly due to the fact that the hauntings or strange occurrences take place in natural or mundane surroundings - surroundings familiar to the reader but never before thought of as unusual or threatening. Long out of print, this book remains an enthralling and chilling read. AUTHOR: Amyas Northcote (1864-1923) was an English writer, and the son of the First Earl of Iddesleigh, who was the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Disraeli. A wealthy investment banker, Northcote wrote articles for popular magazines in his spare time, and published one book, 'In Ghostly Company'. Copies of the book became collector's items for lovers of the ghost story, and the title was revived by Wordsworth in 2010.